Jaykae Returns With ‘One Man Soldier’

Pioneering Birmingham musician, Jaykae has returned with his new single, ‘One Man Soldier’, ahead of his forthcoming sophomore album, ‘Hooligan’ due out next year. Following a run of summery, club-orientated releases, ‘One Man Soldier’ takes listeners back to day one Jaykae and his sound that cemented his name within the UK Grime and Rap scene. Re-uniting with producer Thomas Mellor, the cultural figurehead is back in his element, merging British cultural references with additional nods to Birmingham across a sonic that is core to his musical DNA.

Taking a brief break from music this year allowed Jaykae to fulfill two life-long goals; opening a boxing gym in partnership with the McCrackens (Anthony Joshua’s former coaches) and landing a debut acting role in Amazon Prime series ‘JUNGLE’.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Jaykae has become a household name in his hometown and a cult hero in his local area, Small Heath, which is the multicultural epicenter of the West Midlands. Growing up in a multi-culture household, Jay has Afghan, Pakistani, Egyptian, and Irish heritage, which has introduced him to various cultures and religions and all walks of life. Inspired by 90’s R&B and Hip-Hop, he cited the likes of Notorious B.I.G, 112, Mase, Dr Dre as his key influences before discovering Ghetts as a pre-teen who inspired his next move as he manoeuvred his way through the ranks as an emerging MC in his hometown. His humble beginnings led to a breakthrough year in 2014 following his legendary Fire In The Booth and featuring on Skepta’s ‘That’s Not Me’ remix. As he continued to fly the flag for Birmingham with a flurry of singles, EPs, and collaborations, his debut album ‘Where Have You Been’ put him on a national pedestal with stand-out singles ‘Moscow’ and ‘Toothache’, which featured in 50
Cent’s US TV Series Power.

One of his most sigificant musical accolades was going platinum with
‘Take Me Back To London’ alongside Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Aitch for an all-star remix. The self-professed King of Birmingham has continued to carve his own lane with features with the likes of Ghetts, slowthai, KURUPT FM, and Jorja Smith. This year alone, he has collaborated with Double Lz and Rude Kid for two dance-led tracks that were soundtracks of this summer. The releases were book-ended between a monumental performance at the 2022 Birmingham Common Wealth Games alongside UB40, Goldie, Mahalia, and more. After a brief hiatus from solo musical projects, ‘One Man Soldier’ is a defining return for Jaykae to mark a moment that fans near and far have eagerly anticipated. He continues representing his city while building on his growing global legacy ahead of a milestone year.